Chapter 28: Wild Magic, Ruthless Majesty
And true enough, all the soldiers were summoned together, leaving only the children and women elves behind the protective walls of Aetherthorn. Even the guards assigned to Robert and Marissa were called away to assist in the unexpected assault.
After all, Aetherthorn is shielded by an invisible force field powered by the sacred trio of giant trees, repelling dangerous beasts and elemental threats from breaching its dome.
"You better not do anything funny, or you know what will happen," one of the departing soldiers warned Robert and Marissa grimly before rushing off to join the others.
It wasn’t just the Goldhairs who mobilized. Word of the Night Stalker incursion reached both the Velkadar and Silvanther tribes. Though their leaders remained missing, it was no longer a question of politics or pride. A massive pack of Night Stalkers skirting near their borders was a threat that could not be ignored.
Within minutes, the combined elven armies of all three tribes had gathered and advanced in unison toward Mathes’s last known location. Along the way, they encountered his wounded company, who quickly corroborated Micha’el’s dire warnings.
Deep within Runewood,
Mathes stood alone.
The forest had gone eerily silent. The lesser Night Stalkers had retreated, leaving only one opponent standing: the Alpha.
Mathes gritted his teeth.
"You’re a sturdy beast, I’ll give you that. But let’s see how you handle this."
He raised his wand. Thunder crackled above as the chaotic storm overhead twisted into focused wrath at his command. The clouds obeyed, tightening their fury into a singular point.